Betty Ford Speaks At The International Women S Year Congress Footage

Betty Ford speaks at the International Women's Year Congress
	Tape Master:	1184
	Catalog #:	494245
	Clip Number:	494245-2
	Orginal Film:
	Timecode:	01:00:02 - 01:04:48
	Location:	Cleveland, Ohio
	Year Shot:	1975 (Actual Year)
	Audio:	Yes
	Color:	Yes
	Headings:	BEHAVIOR, HUMAN: Gender roles CIVIL RIGHTS: Women LOCATIONS/NORTH AMERICA: USA, Ohio, Cleveland POLITICS: Public Address (Speech)
	Description:	MS First Lady BETTY FORD being introduced at the International Women's Year Congress; she takes to the podium, graciously thanks the audience. "Thank you for inviting me. I am here because I believe the best way to celebrate International Women's Year is to examine the very real problems women face today, not the progress of yesterday. While many new opportunities are open to women, too many are available only to the lucky few. Many barriers continue to the paths of most women, even on the most basic issue of equal pay for equal work. (applause) And the contributions of women as wives and mothers continue to be underrated. (applause) This year is not the time to cheer the visible few, but to work for the invisible many, whose lives are still restricted by custom and code. In working sessions of this conference, you will explore many of the formal and informal restrictions that confine women. Many of these restrictions spring directly from those emotional ideas about what women can do and should do. These definitions of behavior and ability inhibit men and women alike, but the limits on women have been formalized into law and structured into social custom. For that reason, the first important steps have been to undo the laws that hem women in and lock them out of the mainstream of opportunities. But my own support of the Equal Rights Amendment has shown what happens when a definition of proper behavior collides with the right of an individual to personal opinions. I do not believe that being First Lady should prevent me from expressing my ideas. (applause) I spoke out on this important issue, because of my deep personal convictions. Why should my husband's job or yours prevent us from being ourselves? (applause) Being ladylike does not require silence." (applause)